Lesotho Army

Lesotho Defence Force
Coats of arms of Lesotho
Active	1978-present
Country	Lesotho
Commanders
Current commander	Lt Gen Tlali Kamoli
Aircraft flown
Helicopter	Bell/Agusta-Bell 412, Bo 105
Trainer	Cessna 182Q
Transport	CASA C-212 Aviocar

The Lesotho Defence Force (LDF) is the army and air force of Lesotho.

There is no conscription in Lesotho. Of 400,457 (2005 est.) males age 18-49, the CIA estimates 162,857 are fit for military service. Military expenditures in 2004 were $32.3 million, representing 2.3% of the country's GDP.

The Lesotho Government in 1999 began an open debate on the future structure, size, and role of the armed forces, especially considering the Lesotho Defence Force's (LDF) history of intervening in political affairs. In 2001, under an agreement with India, an Indian Army Training Team (IATT) started training the LDF. In August 2014 the army attempted a military coup.

The Force currently has a strength of approximately 3100, including female soldiers. All commissioned officers have to first serve in the ranks for at least three years.

It is led by a three-star General, Lt Gen Tlali Kamoli, who, in 2014 became embroiled in what was considered to be a 'coup attempt'.

The Lesotho air wing was an originally a 1978 offshoot of the parliamentary police mobile unit and began operations with two Short Skyvan twin turboprop STOL transports; a leased Cessna A152 Aerobat; two MBB Bo 105 helicopters; and a Bell 47G helicopter converted to turboshaft power. Two Mil Mi-2 twin turbine helicopters were donated by Libya in 1983 but were retired by 1986.

Deliveries of four Bell 412 helicopters were delayed in 1983 to 1986 because of South Africa's influence. This changed when a 1986 military coup resulted in new security agreements with South Africa being signed. In the mid-1980s the air wing was renamed the Lesotho Defence Force. In 1989 the Skyvans were replaced by two CASA C-212 Aviocar light turboprop transports; one immediately crashed, requiring a third to be delivered in 1992. A fifth Bell 412 (an EP model) was delivered in May 1998 to replace one written off the previous January.